Green bean casserole has become a staple at most everyone’s traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately, the traditional version tends to be loaded with bad fat, salt and calories and is often far from a light and healthy dish.

Why not lighten up this Thanksgiving classic and save your calories for the yummier desserts or sweet potato casserole? Substituting reduced fat and light versions of sour cream, heavy cream, and cream cheese or 0% Greek yogurt will still give you a great taste but for a fraction of the calories.

There is no need to buy breadcrumbs! Make your own high fiber breadcrumbs by blending Fiber One Original Cereal or a piece of whole grain bread in a food processor/blender until a breadcrumb consistency.

Yield: 8 servings (1 cup per serving)

Ingredients

2 lb green beans, steamed

1 onion, sliced

1 tsp of olive oil

1 cup of light sour cream

1 tsp of garlic powder

¼ cup of asiago shredded cheese.

½ cup Fiber One Original cereal

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 º F. Grease a 13’’ x 9’’ glass or aluminum pan with olive oil. Spread out the steamed green beans in the pan. In a small saucepan, heat 1 tsp of olive oil and sauté the sliced onions until they are slightly brown. Spread out the onions on top of the green beans. In a small pot, heat the light sour cream, asiago cheese, and garlic powder for 3-5 minutes until the mixture gets thin. Pour the sour cream mixture over the green beans and onions. In a food processor or blender, mix the fiber one cereal until a breadcrumb consistency. Sprinkle the casserole with the breadcrumbs. Place pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

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One of the best ways to get back in shape after having a baby is to breast-feed. The physiological process of breast-feeding requires that a woman's metabolic rate go into overtime as her body strives to produce milk to nurture her growing infant. This process requires an exorbitant amount of calories to sustain. If you combine breast-feeding with both a nutrient-dense, calorie-controlled diet (with enough calories to support lactation) and regular aerobic exercise (like taking the baby for long walks), you will surely be on the right track for getting back into shape and getting back your pre-pregnancy body.
If a woman decides not to breast-feed, she can still take a healthy approach to getting back into shape following the birth of her new baby. The extra fat that Mother Nature adds to a woman's body to support her pregnancy can be taken off following the same general principles for all types of healthy weight loss: eat a healthy, balanced, calorie-controlled diet combined with regular exercise, and aim for a weight loss of no more than 1 to 2 pounds per week. There are registered dietitians who specialize in pregnancy, and I would highly recommend you consult with one to get on the right path. Go to www.eatright.org to find a registered dietitian in your area.